This invention relates to hardware for luggage and the like and is more particularly concerned with luggage hardware employing a combination lock to control the release of one or two pivoting latches.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,961,505, issued June 8, 1976, and assigned to the same assignee as the present invention, discloses hardware for luggage and the like in which a single combination lock is effective to control the release of a pair of pivoting latches. In the patented hardware, turning of a single manual actuator advantageously opens both pivoting latches if the lock is "on combination" and release a pair of hasps. However, the mechanism that controls the latches and the hasps depends upon butt type relationships and has certain complexities and close tolerances that increase the expense of the luggage hardware.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,555,860, issued Jan. 19, 1971, also discloses luggage hardware in which a single combination lock controls a pair of latches, but the latches are of a sliding type. Such latches lack the advantage of spring-biased pivoting latches, that facilitate the opening and closing of luggage.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,543,545, issued Dec. 1, 1970, U.S. Pat. No. 3,800,571, issued Apr. 2, 1974, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,952,561, issued Apr. 27, 1976, all assigned to the same assignee as the present invention, disclose luggage hardware in which a combination lock directly controls the release of an associated hasp. The hardware of these patents does not have the advantages of spring-biased pivoting latches or of multiple latches controlled by a single combination lock.